Learning the Power of Leverage

When I was new to real estate investing, I thought that I had to have a 9-5 to fund my projects. 

So…I went to school for power engineering, because it was the shortest schooling path to a $100k a year job.

I was one of only two girls in my class.

One day, my teacher told me something that has stuck with me. He said…

“You don’t have to be the strongest. You just have to know how to use leverage.”

Basically, he was telling me my success as a power engineer would come from learning how to identify the best tools to fit each fix.

Even then, I knew the lesson was bigger than fixing machinery. But I didn’t fully understand it yet.

Back then, my investing plan was based on leveraging my power engineer salary to fund my real estate dreams. I was going to…

• Get the $100k a year job
• Buy a bunch of real estate
• “Retire” by 30

Simple, right?

Except…six months into the job, I decided to quit and go all in on real estate investing.

The next 5 years were the hardest of my life. 

I had no idea what I was doing. I slept in my van. I had no money. I had zero life. 

But..I became resilient. I learned how to solve problems. And, eventually, I learned more about how to use leverage.

That was the time that really set me up for life. (Partly because I got so burned out trying to do everything myself.)

Today, whether I’m investing in hotels, self-storage, or considering a new renovation or design project, that leverage lesson from my power engineering teacher shows up over and over.

The longer I’m in the game the more I see it’s not about being the “strongest” (or the richest or the most experienced).

It’s about knowing which “tools” (which resources) give me the most leverage.

Here’s what I’ve learned about leverage as an investor and business woman…

• You don’t need to do it all yourself — you need the right team.
• You don’t need all the money — you need the right strategy.
• You don’t need to hustle harder — you need to think bigger.
• You don’t need more time — you need better systems.

Leverage lets you grow without burning out.

It’s how I made the leap.

It’s how I keep building.

If you’re trying to scale, pivot, or just figure out the next move, start looking for the resources that can lessen the work load and help you grow both faster and smarter.

Relying on mentors and learning from other people’s experience has been a big part of my success.

Don’t try to carry it all. Learn where the levers are.